A Critical Commentary Of Voltaires Candide English Literature Essay

A Critical Commentary Of Voltaires Candide English Literature Essay Voltaires work, Candide, uses powerful satirical narrative to represent slavery in the eighteenth century, the supposed Age of Reason, and Candides epiphany, represented throughout the course of the extract. The passage follows the travels of Candide and his fellows to Buenos-Aires, in search of his beloved Cunà ©gonde. After five days of travelling, he arrives, with Cacambo, outside the town of Surinam, where they encounter a mutilated slave. The theme of slavery is represented most effectively through the descriptions given by the characters, rather than the physical description of the scene provided by the narrator. A slave or nà ¨gre is found on the ground. His physical position, à ©tendu par terre, reflects his social class and the degradation of slaves. The slaves garment, un caleà §on de toile bleue, is hardly weather-proof or durable, highlighting the poverty endured by slaves and the ruthless attitude of their masters. Voltaire withholds the name of the slave, emphasising the disregard for human life implied within society. Nà ¨gre is used to represent the entire slave population. This pejorative term further highlights societys attitude. However, it is important to note that Candide first calls him mon ami, indicating his open nature, perhaps a reflection of Voltaires opinion of slavery. Whilst the masters of slaves are very disrespectful of their slaves, the nà ¨gre calls his keeper maà ®tre, showing a profound respect. To add to masters grandeur, the slave recalls his position in society, qualifying it with the adjective fameux. In this paragraph, the depiction of slavery is brutal, with the tragedies of the workplace and punishment discussed with a banal acceptance. The language used when the slave describes how la meule nous attrape le doigt, on nous coupe la main; quand nous voulons nous enfuir, on nous coupe la jambe gives a feeling of breathlessness and the futility of his attempt to escape. This description of suffering draws accurately on legislation concerning delinquent slaves set out in in the 1685 Code Noir  [2]  .The description also draws a parallel between the relationship between the slave and his master. Voltaires use of restrictive adverbials,  [3]  such as neà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦que demonstrate the physical effects of cruelty on the slave. The language used by the slave is resigned, with a repetitive use of passive structures such as on nous. The slave then coldly states, cest à   ce prix que vous mangez du sucre en Europe. This simple statement highlights the corruption, not only in slavery, but in all levels of society. Leibnizs philosophy of Optimism is evident in the representation of slavery. The slaves resigned account shows an acceptance of life shared with those who follow the belief of Optimism. Leibniz claimed that both human and moral evils were part of a greater good  [4]  .This is further emphasised by the qualification of slavery by the mother of the slave as un honneur. The slave adds an optimistic cependant; this sudden element of bathos reinforces Pangloss meilleur des mondes outlook on life. This optimistic view, personified through Pangloss, contrasts greatly with Candides opinions after witnessing the situation. The absurdity of Optimism, with reference to the slave-trade, is shown when Cacambo asks, Quest-ce que quoptimisme? Cacambo has not used an article before optimism, emphasising how little he cares for it. With reference to the novel as a whole, Optimism is only mentioned directly within this passage. As soon as it is mentioned, it is denounced. Further to the slaves acc ount, he compares his situation with that of des chiens, des singes et des perroquets. The animals might possibly represent the different social classes within society. The passage emphasises how slavery was represented in monetary terms; the slave was sold by his mother for ten à ©cus patagons, the currency of Spain at the time. Moreover, throughout the slaves account of how he came to be in this position, it appears that slavery was represented differently in the West from the homelands of the slaves. The nà ¨gre recalls how his mother told him ils te feront vivre heureux, describing it as an honour to work for nos seigneurs, les blancs. It is interesting that the masters are classed as les Blancs. Voltaire divides society not only by social class, but also by race. It is clear that the people of Guinà ©e were disillusioned by the notion of slavery. The confusion is further emphasised by the religious theme central to the passage. The lexical field of religion emphasises the religious beliefs of the slaves, a central theme in their African culture. Evidently, the slave is religious, as he attends church tous les dimanches. However, Voltaire highlights, yet again, the corruption within society by making it clear to the reader that the slave had been converted. The Pasteur claims that they are tous enfants dAdam, blancs et noirs. This contradicts his earlier statement of the masters being les blancs. Like his clothes and culture, his religious identity has been stripped from him. Here, Voltaire is criticising the social system of the period. It is clear that the slaves are taught what they know not to be true, yet they accept it as it is the way of the world in which they live. Despite Voltaires thought-provoking depiction of slavery in the passage, it is interesting to look critically at Candides attitude to the situation. When he first encounters the slave on the road, he addresses him in a friendly manner, symbolising his naivety and lack of understanding. Voltaires portrayal of Candides naivety is referenced even in his name. Candide is taken from Latin and connotes whiteness, openness, naivety, innocence and, more negatively, inexperience and credulity.  [5]  The passive language of the slave throughout his description of his horrific ordeal is a direct juxtaposition with the raw emotion portrayed through Candides reaction. The flaws in Panglosss optimism are clearly highlighted, especially during Candides discourse. W.H Barber suggest that the characters help Voltaire in his purpose of parodying the episodic adventure novel [making it possible for the reader] to view characters and narrative as it were externally, and consequently critically to become aware of the caricature and exaggeration, the deliberate implausibilities, the bathetic contrasts  [6]  . Despite Candides denouncing of belief, he does little else to react to the situation. Candide merely begins to cry, leaving the slave where he found him. The reader criticises Candide for not helping to free the slave from his bind in society. Voltaire is provoking this response in the reader to make clear the effects of passivity. He also seems to regard the problem as so large and horrifying that [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] one can only weep and go on ones way, or presumably, continue to eat sugar with a guilty conscience.  [7]   Throughout this passage, irony plays very little part. However, other narrative techniques are employed. Personal deixis is used when Candide is talking to the slave. He asks, que fais-tu là  , mon ami, dans là ©tat horrible oà ¹ je te vois?Here it is impossible for the reader to understand the situation and the horrible state that the slave is in without reading into the context of the question. The theme of culture can be thoroughly examined in this passage. Talking en hollandais, Candide emphasises his European background compared with the African culture of the slave. Division within society is clearly illustrated when the slave tells Candide that his mutilation is the price that he has paid to eat sugar en Europe. Voltaire demonstrates that the world is divided. Interestingly, the slave understands Candides Dutch, highlighting their cultural awareness, the importance of communication and the enforcement of other cultures upon slaves. The cultural toleration of the slaves is juxtaposed with the attitude of Western civilisation. African culture appears to be more family-oriented when compared with Candides upbringing. The slave refers to his mother, ma mere, showing his respect for the advice given to him by his family. Throughout this passage of Voltaires Candide, slavery is represented in a number of ways, most notably by the description provided by the slave himself. In addition, Candides attitude highlights the philosophy of Optimism that Voltaire aims to discuss throughout the entire book. It is said that the narrative of Candide is [..] a vehicle carefully designed to convey a philosophical discussion of topical concern both to the author and reader  [8]  . In conclusion, Voltaire has employed a palette of narrative techniques to enrich this passage of the book. Word Count= 1,490 Bibliography MHRA format Barber, W.H., Studies in French Literature 5, Voltaire: Candide (London: W.H. Barber, 1960) Cronk ,Professor Nicholas, Voltaire and the Voices of Enlightenment, read by Simon Russell Beale, (BBC Radio 3, 2010) Mason,Haydn, European Masters  : Voltaire (London  : Hutchinson, 1975) Williams,David, Voltaire:Candide (London: Grant and Cutler Ltd, 1997) Voltaire, Candide, Presentation by Jean Goldzink, (Paris, Editions Flammarion, 2007)

Citizen Journalism vs. Mainstream Media

Citizen journalism is news that comes from the larger public and not well- known and legitimate news agencies like, The Washington Post or The Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Citizen journalism can be most recognized in the form of blogs or wiki sites. 15211 is a citizen journalism site that is based in Mt. Washington which is a small part of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The title of the blog relates to the blog because it is the zip code for Mount Washington residents.The blog discusses current events that are going on in the Mount Washington area only; the site masters are completely open to criticism and understand that not everyone agrees or likes what is being discussed. A mainstream media outlet close to Mount Washington is the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. This newspaper discusses everything from sports to local news to country wide and international affairs. Although there is an opinion section in the paper, it is not all opinion based like a blog.Also, newspapers provide other things than just news whether it is informative or opinionated; it also provides coupons for state wide stores and allows their audience to connect to other websites such as job search sites. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette provides a wide range of informative topics to appeal to a wide range of publics. Since newspapers are losing their appeal to the newer generations they must start finding new ways to attract people to read and subscribe to their publication.Although many publics in today’s society prefer mainstream media to citizen journalism, there are many pros to blogs and wiki sites. For instance the blog, 15211 is targeted to a specific public (audience) which are the people of Mount Washington, a small part of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as it says in the about us section. Having a target audience allows for more freedom to write about anything related to that topic and not receiving many contradictory statements or backlash opinions.Although most blogs have a targeted audience, backl ash comes with the territory and one of the things that 15211 says is, â€Å"Sometimes you’ll like what you read, other times you won’t. That is the point of a blog and we intend to keep true to the medium. We know that our opinions may not be yours and vice versa, but we respect the fact that you’re here†¦. † This allows more people to openly express their opinion and respond to the opinion of the creator without feeling judged.Another upside to citizen journalism is that it is very easy to share and connect with the site and the other followers. On the 15211 home page they have a tiny box in the middle of the page that allows you to share or bookmark the site to 11 different social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google Bookmarks. On the site, the blog creators also allow people to view a live Twitter comment feed on the website so that they don’t have to have Twitter to view the comments people are making about the blog post s.Citizen Journalism good at sharing information and allowing others to participate in the discussion, but being completely opinionated and specific on one topic is not always a good thing. On negative thing about citizen journalism is that they mostly only apply to specific publics/audiences and although the internet has many different blogs and wiki sites that attract all people, it still doesn’t cover everyone, especially older generations who are against the change in the way that we view and access our information.Being able to expand to just more than one specific public might help increase the recognition just like mainstream media is. Another down side to citizen journalism is that it is all opinionated and although people like the freedom of expressing their opinion, people like facts and information that they can definitely rely on to right. After researching the 15211 site, citizen journalism seems to be on the rise and more accessible than ever with social network ing and bookmarking sites.All in all it seems as though it is becoming new way for people to express themselves without having to reveal too much about themselves like on Facebook. It also allows internet surfers to read only what they want and what they connect and agree to the most. Citizen journalism is becoming very popular and with the way technology is growing and expanding it only seems like this form of journalism will become even larger among the future generations.

Interpersonal conflict in the Movie “Hitch” Essay

Interpersonal conflict within any relationship is normal but must be carefully resolved so that long term damage doesn’t occur. In the movie, â€Å"Hitch† there was a few interpersonal conflicts that erupted. According to Sole, â€Å"The way in which each person deals with conflict varies based on experience, personality, and communication style. Often we do not know how we will deal with a particular circumstance until it occurs (Sole, 2011).† This particular film was not shy of conflict; this paper will include ways on how the interpersonal conflict could have been resolved. One of the main interpersonal conflicts in the film was dishonesty of the main character. He was a guy who gets hired by people to hook them up together. He basically coaches and trains them on how to be more desirable. He does a full make over from their appearance to what initially comes out of their mouth. The conflict started when the main character took on a new client who was desperat e to date this woman who was like a mogul in her field. The new client was not the best at establishing relationships with people especially when it came to love interest. According to Sole, â€Å"The parties in an interpersonal relationship also have consistent patterns of interacting and communicating with each other, and these patterns are unique to that relationship (Sole, 2011).† The main characters interpersonal conflict emerged when he engaged in a relationship with a woman that he was attracted to. The woman had later on found out the type of work that he was involved in and she felt that it was misleading to people. She felt that their whole relationship was based on lies. According to Sole â€Å"Conflict can be dangerous because it has a tendency to grow and worsen, but it can also have important benefits that can strengthen a relationship and might even be desirable (Sole, 2011).† The main characters client did end up with his significant other but the main character lost his love interest for a short period of time. According to Sole, â€Å"Researchers have found that serious relationship problems arise when those in the rela tionship are unable to reach beyond the immediate conflict and include positive as well as negative emotions in their discussions (Sole, 2011).† In this particular movie the characters were using aggressive communication as a means of getting their points across. This could very well be relationship suicide. They should  utilize a more assertive way of communicating to each other. While they were arguing they should have found a way to lighten the argument. According to Sole, â€Å"In happy marriages, instead of always responding to anger with anger, the couples found a way to lighten the tension and to de-escalate the conflict (Sole 2011).† When it comes to interpersonal conflict all is not lost because of the fact that it could be a healthy factor for any relationship. According to Sole, â€Å"some conflict may actually be good for a marriage over time and can lead to the personal growth of both parties—if the negative communication is aimed at the other person’s specific behavior and not at the whole person (Sole, 2011).† This is basically pointing out the actions that an individual took or di dn’t take. It’s similar to how you deal with a child that’s misbehaving. For an example you tell the child that their actions were bad and not that they are bad. When you take this type of approach you can salvage a relationship and not affect anyone’s self-esteem. In the long term they will understand how to avoid the same conflict in the future. References: Sole, K. (2011).Making connections: Understanding interpersonal communication. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Entourage Final Paper - 1556 Words

Communication is a tremendous aspect of everyday life. The effects of positive and negative communication are imperative to making deals, providing information, and even everyday office interaction. The way people communicate with each other defines their character, especially in an office setting. Positive communication skills are appreciated and are the basis of running a successful company. Conversely, negative communication can lead to business failure, as well as poor relationships with co-workers. Three positive methods of communication are active listening, effective speaking, and confidence. Three negative methods of communication are strong reactions, providing misleading information, and the use improper communication tools. Ari†¦show more content†¦Ari always communicates in a confident manner. He often reassures his clients that he is the number one agent in Hollywood. This gives clients a sense of relief that they are in good hands. Ari’s confidence has g iven him his big name in Hollywood. In turn, allowing him to reach out and contact whoever he desires. The business of being an agent revolves around constant contacts. The business is enormous, so being well connected is what makes Ari so powerful. Strong reactions fall on the negative side of the spectrum with communication methods. When experiencing strong feelings about work, it is important to vent and express your feelings in a calm, collected manner. Blowing up at an employee or client is not professional, nor will it give a good impression. While dealing with clients or employees, patience and understanding must be expressed. Mistakes are made all of the time in the workplace. Dealing with them in a collected manner will earn respect from employees (Megan Martin). Ari has a tendency to explode and lash out at employees. Mistakes are not tolerated and usually met with termination of a job. 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